The Honolulu Rail Transit Project was slated to cost $5.2 billion. That figure has doubled as construction progresses, leaving the city scrambling for funds amid public outcry.

There's a lot of trouble afoot for Honolulu's attempt at traffic-easing transit. Brittany Lyte writes, "In a bid to unsnarl its highways a bit in 2011, the city embarked on a $5.2 billion Honolulu Rail Transit Project. At the time, the planned 20-mile elevated electric train line was expected to ease traffic congestion on Hawaii's most densely populated island by 18 percent, with the first trips planned for 2017."
Six years on, costs have ballooned to $10 billion and rising. "Per capita, the Honolulu rail could become the most expensive transit project in U.S. history, according to the conservative public policy think tank Grassroot Institute of Hawaii."
Will the hugely expensive undertaking actually justify its costs? Estimates say no, predicting only a few percentage points of decreased traffic amid a net increase. Local politicians, including Democrats, are calling for a stop to the bleeding via the withdrawal of federal support, but others feel it's already too late.
Lyte points to transit projects in New Jersey and Maryland that were scuttled due to financial strain and legal challenges.
FULL STORY: Honolulu's Rapid Transit Crisis

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.
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